MMA holds legislative briefings for local officials, legislators

Unrestricted General Government Aid, Chapter 70 education funding, the Chapter 90 road maintenance program, and other local aid accounts were the leading topics at the series of MMA Legislative Briefings held in March.

Some 250 local officials and more than 30 legislators and their staff attended the five virtual meetings, held on March 4, 7, 11, 14 and 16.

The MMA presentations focused on key local government priorities for fiscal 2023. Legislative Director Dave Koffman and Senior Legislative Analyst Jackie Lavender Bird set the stage for upcoming major decisions and opportunities in the fiscal 2023 state budget.

The MMA is urging the Legislature to increase UGGA by 7.3% in fiscal 2023, instead of the 2.7% increase proposed in Gov. Charlie Baker’s budget recommendation. Bird gave a state tax collections update, which provides context for budget discussions.

Koffman and Bird also discussed the MMA’s call to increase Chapter 70 minimum aid to $100 per student, fully fund school transportation accounts, fully fund the state’s obligation to payments in lieu of taxes for state-owned land (PILOT), and enact a multiyear Chapter 90 bill of at least $300 million per year.

They provided updates on a fiscal 2022 supplemental budget bill and a $5 billion general government bond bill filed by the governor with spending for several municipal priorities. They also highlighted some major pieces of legislation, including extensions of pandemic-related allowances, election reform bills, recycling bills, and legislative redistricting.

The MMA thanked legislators for a $4 billion COVID recovery law, enacted in December, which included strong assistance to municipalities.

At the March 4 briefing with local officials and legislators from Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire counties, Rep. William “Smitty” Pignatelli gave a timeline for the upcoming House and Senate budget proposals, and stressed the importance of discussing priorities with legislators during this time.

Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier, Rep. Susan Williams Gifford, Rep. Steven Howitt, Rep. Paul Schmid and Rep. Pignatelli all agreed that the Chapter 90 program needs an increase to support road projects across the state.

Local officials highlighted a range of issues affecting their municipalities, including affordable housing, economic development in smaller communities, revenue loss, regional partnerships, and water and climate challenges.

The MMA hosts the series of briefings across the state twice per year to give local leaders, legislators and MMA staff the opportunity to network, exchange information and discuss issues of importance in state and local government in an informal setting.